Franklin Kaler HAFER

                   New Oxford item - Feb 27 1908
Death in Cruel Falmes.
Mrs. Margaret Hafer, aged 31 years, wife of Frank K. Hafer, and her infant son, aged 9 months, of Abbottstown, perished Saturday night in a burning accident resulting from an exploding coal oil lamp.
From the statements of the children and the appearance of the rooms in which the tragedy occurred, it is inferred that about 7 oclock, as was her custom, Mrs. Hafer, who with the children, was alone in the house, proceeded to her bedroom on the second floor of her home to put her three youngest children, including the infant, which she carried in her arms, to bed, the other two following in her wake up the stairway. In the bedrrom stood a baby coach, and after placing the baby on a bed in the room, Mrs. Hafer pushed the coach toward a corner. On a stand near the bed stood a lighted lamp, and in moving the coach, the handle caught the fringe on the stand cover, causing the lamp to be thrown to the floor, where it exploded. The blazing oil was thrown on Mrs. Hafer's clothing and on the carpet, and in a few moments the entire room was in a blaze. Mrs. Hafer, enveloped in flames, intent on saving the children, rushed frantically from room to room, and the curtains and carpets in the rooms were also set on fire. The two children who had followed their mother, as soon as the lamp had fallen on the floor,  rushed downstairs and out of harm's way, but the unfortunate woman seems not to have been aware of this, for several times she ran through the suite of rooms in search of them, calling wildly for them to come to her.
The shreiks of the children and glare of the flames drew some neighbors to the scene. These rushed into the house, and got to the bedroom just as Mrs. hafer fell to the floor, expiring in a few moments. The baby was  found dead on the bed, which was in flames, badly burned about the body. Mrs. Hafer's body was also severely burned. The flames were speedily extinguished by the neighbors who had come to the rescue. The bodies of the mother and babe were taken to the house of a neighbor, and a physician who was summoned declared that both had died from inhaling the flames.
The victim of this deplorable accident was the second wife of Mr. hafer, and, as his first wife, was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Jordy, of Abbottstown.  She is survived by her husband and four children, two of these step children. Her parents and two brother, William and George Jordy, of New York City, also survive.
Mrs. Hafer was one of the brightest and most intellectual matrons of her native town. After passing though the public schools of Abbottstown, she attended the Collegiate Institute of York, later entering the Millersville Normal School. After graduation, she taight for several terms a school in Lancaster county, and was later called to Millersville as Librarian at the Normal school. In this capacity she served until her marriage.
Funeral was held Tues. Feb 25, at the house. Interment at Abbottstown.